Catharsis | Vicissitude - Hsia Yan

Hsia Yan

Nov.29 2020 - Jan.31 2021

Hsia Yan, born in Xiangxiang, Hunan on July 27 1932, his real name is Xia Zuxiang. He first moved from Nanjing to Taipei caused by war, then he went to Paris and New York alone to pursue his artistic dream. He returned to his home country in later years and currently lives in Shanghai. Yan is one of the founders of Chinese first abstract art group, “Ton-Fan Group”. Making Chinese traditional art more cosmopolitan and seeking the characters and status of traditional art in the world art has become the direction of Yan’s artistic exploration.

"Xuanxie" means lyricism, which is also a homophones for "catharsis" in Chinese. Hsia Yan's art not only contains the freehand concept of Chinese painting, but also carries the free spontaneous spirit of folk art. He's good at portraying "people", seems to be painting the lives of others, yet he actually has been telling his own stories and releasing emotions.

"Xingbian" is the continuous advancement and change throughout life. It also presents the change of Yan's artistic style. He went away at a young age and returned home as an old man, Yan's wandering life created various artistic styles.

Hsia Yan tried to adapt thick and thin lines to depict figures and abstract paintings in early years. In Paris, he mixed thick and thin lines into signature work of "Fuzzy People", in sharp contrast with the ultra-flat background. In New York, he used 1/8 shutter to capture pedestrians, forming erratic silhouettes, created with Photographic Realism. Around 2000, Yan began to create the metal sculpture with light-weight paper and soft lines elements. Moved to Shanghai until now, Yan is calmer and uses the elements of the living environment and the nature to create large-scale landscape paintings with free and casual lines.

This Catharsis | Vicissitude exhibition displays Hsia Yan's paintings and sculptures from 1971 to 2020, covering large-scale landscape series, "Fuzzy People" series and traditional folk myths series. Among them, the large-scale landscape painting, "Landscape 6", which was created in this year. It is the first time to public exhibit.

  • Activity | Christmas Film Screening

    Dec.25 2020 - Dec.27

  • Activity | Christmas Film Screening

    Dec.25 2020 - Dec.27

    1964 Paris → 1968 纽约 → 1992 台湾


    This is the footprint of Hsia Yan's artistic exploration. 


    At the same age or same city, different people play out this colorful world. Under the changes of the overall environment, no matter the artistic process of Hsia Yan or the joys and sorrows in the film, they will eventually become the silhouettes of history and the background of the future era.


    Following this trace, we've picked out three films that took place in the three cities and screened them on Christmas Day and the following weekends.


    12.25 "Midnight in Paris" / 12.26 "Manhattan" / 12.27 "Eat Drink Man Woman"

  • Activity | Chang Museum x CWX Design Studio

    Jan.24 2021 - Jan.24

  • Activity | Chang Museum x CWX Design Studio

    Jan.24 2021 - Jan.24

    Hsia Yan makes good use of different materials, such as painting, cutting-and-pasting, and sculpture. The three flying birds "Landscape Five" in this exhibition are made by cutting-and-pasting.


    For leather designer Chen Wanxian, familiar leathers and strings are her best descriptive materials. The two-dimensional lines of Hsia Yan are turned into three-dimensional，with one of the "Flying bird" flying out of the "Landscapes" transforming into three colors，which become leather ornaments that can be carried around. 


    What the experiencers complete is a process that requires patience and care, just like Hsia Yan's painting "Landscapes", where every detail is taken care of carefully, and finally they get joyful sense of accomplishment.